Review: The Bronte Plot - Katherine Reay

The Bronte Plot - Katherine Raey
standalone
Contemporary
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 3, 2015)
rated: 4/5 stars

Synopsis:

When Lucy’s secret is unearthed, her world begins to crumble. But it may be the best thing that has ever happened to her.
Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious liberties to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy’s secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend, James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.
In a sudden turn of events, James’s wealthy grandmother, Helen, hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy’s predicament better than anyone else.
As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen’s wisdom as Helen confronts ghosts from her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters’ beloved heroines who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of impossible circumstances.
Now Lucy must face her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life that’s been waiting for her all along.

My thoughts:
 I received this from NetGalley for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it refreshing after reading the same kind of genre for awhile. Lucy had made some mistakes in her personal life and in her career. After losing the man she was seeing and then meeting his grandmother. Lucy and Helen go on an adventure to right their wrongs. I loved both of these strong women and the people that they encountered.

October Book Haul

I had to get the new Harry Potter Illustrated Edition and the big brown book is Grimm's complete Fairy Takes, that I have always wanted.

Review: The Elite - Kiera Cass

The Elite - Kiera Cass
Book #2 of The Selection series
Dystopian/YA Romance
HarperTeen; Reprint edition (May 6, 2014)
4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
 The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. The only thing that drives me crazy is America's fickleness. Does she want the Prince or not. Does she really have feelings for him or does she want a life with Aspen? I think she loves both of them and is confused. But I can't wait to see how the rest of the series works out.

Some book reviews

NOS4A2 - Joe Hill
standalone
thriller
Published 2013
4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country.

Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing – and terrifying – playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.”

Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble—and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.

My Thoughts:
This is Stephen King's son and writes just like him. Wow, what a great book. I could not put this book down. What a great author and I had to go and buy another one of his books.

 H2O - Virginia Bergin
First book in series
Science Fiction
 Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (October 7, 2014)
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
 They don't believe it at first. Crowded in Zach's kitchen, Ruby and the rest of the partygoers laugh at Zach's parents' frenzied push to get them all inside as it starts to drizzle. But then the radio comes on with the warning, "It's in the rain! It's fatal, it's contagious, and there's no cure."

Two weeks later, Ruby is alone. Anyone who's been touched by rain or washed their hands with tap water is dead. The only drinkable water is quickly running out. Ruby's only chance for survival is a treacherous hike across the country to find her father-if he's even still alive.

My Thoughts:
 
I read this book while in SC during the rain but a few days after the flood. Finished it in Myrtle Beach and this book was creepy and made being in the rain scary. Very well written and makes you think a lot.

 The Storm - Virginia Bergin
2nd book of series
Science Fiction
5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:

Ninety-seven percent of the population is dead. And the killer rain keeps falling. Ruby's not sure she can make it on her own much longer. So when a chance encounter leads her to a camp with the last boy she may ever kiss (it's not easy to date during an apocalypse), Ruby gratefully accepts the army's protection.
But safety comes with a price: If Ruby wants to stay, she must keep her eyes-and her mouth-shut.
Except Ruby stumbles across a secret she can't possibly keep. Horrified, she flips out and fights back-only to make the most shocking discovery of all...

My Thoughts:
 I received this ebook for a review, from NetGalley.
I loved this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I would yell at the character, Ruby. Loved her relationship with Princess and Darius. The way that her father treated her though wasn't quite as believable and no one told her where another family member was.

September 2015 Book Haul

These are the books that I bought in the month of September.

Review: Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier

Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier
Lucy Stone series #22
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington (August 25, 2015)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
 Halloween is coming to Tinker’s Cove, Maine, and local reporter Lucy Stone is covering the town’s annual Giant Pumpkin Fest for the Pennysaver. There’s the pumpkin-boat regatta, the children’s Halloween party, the pumpkin weigh-in…even a contest where home-built catapults hurl pumpkins at an old Dodge! But not everything goes quite as planned…Lucy’s getting very annoyed that her husband Bill and his friend Evan have been working seemingly nonstop on their potentially prize-winning pumpkin catapult. But when the day of the big contest arrives, Evan is nowhere to be found…until a catapulted pumpkin busts open the trunk of the Dodge. Amid the pumpkin gore is a very deceased Evan, bashed in the head and placed in the trunk by someone long before the contest started.

Bill is on the hook for the Halloween homicide—he was the last one to see Evan—so Lucy knows she’s got some serious sleuthing to do. The crime’s trail seems to always circle back to Country Cousins, the town’s once-quaint general store that’s now become a big Internet player. Though the store’s founder, Old Sam Miller, is long gone, his son Tom and grandson Trey now run the hugely successful company. But whispered rumors say things aren’t going well, and Lucy finds that this case may have something to do with an unsolved, decades-old Miller family mystery…

With each new lead pointing her in a different direction, Lucy sees that time is quickly running out. If she wants to spook the real killer, she’ll have to step into an old ghost story…

My Thoughts:
I have read half of this series and read this for a review through NetGalley. I have liked the rest of the series so far and I enjoyed this one. Getting to know Lucy and her family again was fun. I could not stand one person in this book and that was the woman who was in charge of a daycare. I really wanted to slap her.  

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Selection (Book 1)
Dystopian
 HarperTeen (April 24, 2012)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
 For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

My thoughts:
I liked getting to know America and her relationship with Prince Maxon. Also her relationship with Aspen and what it means to her and what her future is and what she wants. A couple of the girls were catty but most of them were nice and tried to be friends through this.

Review: The Nightingale by Hannah Kristin

The Nightingale by Hannah Kristin
standalone
Fiction
St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (February 3, 2015)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
 In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

My Thoughts:
I loved getting to know Vianne and Isabelle and how they survived the war and what they had to do to survive and save their family and friends. Very well written and I listened to this on audiobook.

Review: Son by Lois Lowry

Son - Lois Lowry
Book #4 of The Giver Quartet
YA Fantasy
HMH Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (October 2, 2012)
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
 They called her Water Claire. When she washed up on their shore, no one knew that she came from a society where emotions and colors didn’t exist. That she had become a Vessel at age thirteen. That she had carried a Product at age fourteen. That it had been stolen from her body. Claire had a son. But what became of him she never knew. What was his name? Was he even alive? She was supposed to forget him, but that was impossible. Now Claire will stop at nothing to find her child, even if it means making an unimaginable sacrifice.
Son thrusts readers once again into the chilling world of the Newbery Medal winning book, The Giver,　as well as Gathering Blue and Messenger where a new hero emerges. In this thrilling series finale, the startling and long-awaited conclusion to Lois Lowry’s epic tale culminates in a final clash between good and evil.

My Thoughts:
  A clash between good and evil is the final book. Claire was a Birthmother to Gabe and they are in this book along with Jonas to tie up the books. I loved how she tied up the series.

Review: Four A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

Four A Divergent Collection - Veronica Roth
Novella from Divergent series
YA Dystopian
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books; 1st edition (July 8, 2014)
My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
 Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling DIVERGENT series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—THE TRANSFER, THE INITIATE, THE SON, and THE TRAITOR—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the DIVERGENT trilogy.

My thoughts:
 
I liked this novella and got to know Four(Tobias) much better and what he did and why?He found out his mother was alive and his reaction. He confronted his father for the first time.

Review Allegiant by Veronica Roth

                                                                                  Allegiant by Veronica Roth
 Divergent Trilogy Book #3
YA Fantasy/SciFi
Published October 22nd 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books
My Rating: 4out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningliess. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.


My Thoughts:
 
I liked how each chapter was based on either Tris or Tobias's point of view. The ending did not come out the way I thought it would but it ended the way the characters should have. 

The first book was my favorite and then this book. I wasn't to fond of the second book.

Reviews: Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews

Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews

Contemporary Women

Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (May 19, 2015)

My rating: 4/5 stars

 

Synopsis:

 Greer Hennessy needs palm trees.

As a movie location scout, picture-perfect is the name of the game. But her last project literally went up in flames, and her career is on the verge of flaming out. Greer has been given one more chance, if she can find the perfect undiscovered beach hideaway for a big-budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town called Cypress Key. There's one motel, a marina, a long stretch of pristine beach and an old fishing pier with a community casino-which will be perfect for the film's explosive climax.

There's just one problem. Eben Thibadeaux, the town mayor, completely objects to Greer's plan. A lifelong resident of Cypress Key, Eben wants the town to be revitalized, not commercialized. After a toxic paper plant closed, the bay has only recently been reborn, and Eb has no intention of letting anybody screw with his town again. But Greer has a way of making things happen, regardless of obstacles. And Greer and Eb are way too attracted to each other for either of them to see reason.

Between an ambitious director and his entourage-including a spoiled "It Boy" lead actor-who parachute into town, a conniving local ex-socialite, and a cast of local fangirls and opportunists who catch the movie bug, nothing is going to be the same in Cypress Key. Now Greer is forced to make some hard choices: about the people and the town she's come to care about, and about her own life. True love is only for the movies, right? Can Greer find a way to be the heroine in her own life story? Told with inimitable heart and humor, Mary Kay Andrews' Beach Town is the perfect summer destination.

 

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book and want to go visit Cypress Key. Sounds like a small town where everyone knows each other and watches out for each other. Greer Really didn't trust her feelings and neither did Eb but they also had reasons to feel the way they did. Kregg is a spoiled young singer who is a diva.  Greeg learning to accept her father and bringing him into her life was big on her part and I was happy for the ending.

Review : The Carnelian Legacy by Cheryl Koevoet

 

 The Carnelian Legacy by Cheryl Koevoet
1st book in the series
YA fantasy
Published January 29, 2015 by Abbott Press
My Rating 5/5 stars

Synopsis:
Marisa MacCallum has always believed the man of her dreams was out there somewhere. The problem is, he's living in another dimension.

After the death of her father, eighteen-year-old Marisa only wants to find solace when she sets out on her daily ride through the woods of Gold Hill. But when a mysterious lightning storm strikes the forest, she is hurled into the alternate dimension of Carnelia where she is soon discovered by the arrogant yet attractive nobleman, Darian Fiore.

Stranded in an ancient world teeming with monsters, maniacs and medieval knights, Marisa has no choice but to accompany Darian on a dangerous mission to negotiate peace with his cousin and archenemy, Savino da Rocha. Along the way, she starts to see his softer side and unwittingly falls in love. But after she discovers that Darian is locked into an arranged marriage, her heart shatters. When Savino falls for her charms and demands her hand in exchange for peace, Marisa is faced with an impossible choice: marry the enemy of the man she loves or betray them both and become the catalyst for a bloody war.

My Thoughts:
I received this from NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved the relationship between Marissa , Darian and Arrie. The ending had a twist which I did not see coming. I really want to finish the series.The dimension of this world was so much fun. The bad creatures were like some of our myth creatures in this world.

September TBR books

I am hoping to read most of these.

                                                          ebook from the library

                                                           library book

                                                          library book

                                                         library book

                                                                 library book

                                                       library book

                                                                I own

                                                           I own

                                                              library book

                                                                    ebook

August 2015 Book Haul

Blackfin Sky - Kat Ellis

A Hidden Affair - Pam Jenoff

The Mermaid of Brooklyn - Amy Shearn

Cinderella Screwed Me Over - Cindi Madsen

Island Apart - Steven Raichlen

Making Faces - Amy Harmon

Mechanica - Betsy Cornwell

X - Sue Grafton

Legacy of Kings - Eleanor Herman

Of Neptune - Anna Banks

Toxic Heart - Theo Lawrence

11 books, not to bad, that's not including all the ebooks that I got. I never post those. Might start doing that next month. I have not read any of these yet.

Review: Courage That Counts by Elison Grace

Courage That Counts by Elison Grace
Loveland Fire series book 1
New Adult, Romance
Published August 20, 2015 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
My rating 5/5 stars

Synopsis:
 Firefighters and best friends, Dylan and Roy, face death on a daily basis. Now they face death personally when Roy is diagnosed with a terminal disease. Lana, a nurse, becomes the strength Dylan needs when everything is crashing down around him. Will he have the courage to push past the unknown? When the life he has known goes up in flames will the love of his life rise out of the ashes? ***Warning not for anyone under 18 due to strong language and sexual situations ****Have tissues ready when reading

My Thoughts:
 I read this through Netgalley for an honest review. This debut novel had me crying from the start and then would have me smiling through the tears and laughing. I could not stop reading. Roy and Dylan are best friends and firefighters. When Roy finds out he has cancer he asks Dylan to take care of his wife and young daughters. As Dylan is going through this he meets the love of his life but screws things up. Can they make it work? There is swearing and sex scenes just as a warning but the big warning is that you will need kleenex.

I can't wait for this author's next book.

Review Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt

Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt
Hartley By The Sea Series - book 1
Women's Fiction
Published Aug. 4, 2015 by Penguin Group Berkley
My rating 4/5 stars
Received this from NetGalley for an honest review

Synopsis:

Welcome to Hartley-by-the-Sea in England’s beautiful Lake District, where two sisters who meet as strangers find small miracles tucked into the corners of every day....

When Lucy Bagshaw’s life in Boston falls apart, thanks to a scathing editorial written by her famous artist mother, she accepts her half sister Juliet’s invitation to stay with her in a charming seaside village in northern England. Lucy is expecting quaint cottages and cream teas, but instead finds that her sister is an aloof host, the weather is wet, windy, and cold, and her new boss, Alex Kincaid, is a disapproving widower who only hired her as a favor to Juliet.

Despite the invitation she offered, Juliet is startled by the way Lucy catapults into her orderly life. As Juliet faces her own struggles with both her distant mother and her desire for a child, her sister’s irrepressible optimism begins to take hold. With the help of quirky villagers, these hesitant rainy day sisters begin to forge a new understanding…and find in each other the love of family that makes all the difference.

My Thoughts:

  I loved this book. Lucy and Juliette are half sisters with a mother who is selfish and the sisters did not grow up together. Lucy runs to her sister when her mother ruins her life and her boyfriend dumps her. Lucy moves into her sister's B&B and they start to get to know each other. Lucy also starts to make friends. Juliette has always been standoffish and soon starts warming up to people. How their relationship develops kept me reading and not wanting to stop.

Review : Season of Salt and Honey by Hannah Tunnicliffe

Season of Salt and Honey by Hannah Tunnicliffe
standalone
Women's fiction
Publish date Sept.1 , 2015 by Touchstone
my Rating 5/5 stars

Synopsis:
A NOVEL OF LOVE, GRIEF AND ANTIPASTI.

Francesca 'Frankie' Caputo has it all figured out. She's finally going to marry the man she loves and then they will live happily ever after. But when a freak accident cuts her fiancé Alex's life tragically short, all of Frankie's future plans suddenly disintegrate.

Drowning in grief, Frankie flees from her overbearing Italian-American family, and escapes to an abandoned cabin owned by Alex's parents in a remote part of Washington forest.

As her heart slowly begins to heal, Frankie discovers a freedom that's both exhilarating and unsettling to everything she has always known for sure. So when her old life comes crashing back in, Frankie must decide: will she slip quietly back into her safe, former existence? Or will a stronger, wiser Frankie Caputo stand up and claim her new life?

My Thoughts:
 
I received this from NetGalley for an honest review.
Francesca 'Frankie' Caputo was supposed to marry the love of her life, Alex. But an accident takes Alex away from her and she runs to come to terms with her life. I loved this story and yes it is sad but I so wanted to be a part of her family and friends. She need time to grieve and figure out where to go from there.
Also filled with Italian recipes.

Review: Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
Book #3 of Ruby Red trilogy
Fantasy, Romance, Time travel
Publisher: Square Fish (October 7, 2014)
My Rating 5/5 stars

Synopsis:
 Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along. Emerald Green is the stunning conclusion to Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red Trilogy, picking up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate

My thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some romance, danger and a twist. I had a hard time putting the book down. It was a lot of fun reading about the time travel and the outfits they had to wear. 

Review: Sapphire Blue - Kerstin Gier

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
Book #2 of Ruby Red Trilogy
YA Fantasy , Time Travel
Published October 2012 , Square Fish
Rated 4/5 stars

Synopsis:
 
Gwen's life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she's been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.
At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he's very warm indeed; the next he's freezing cold. Gwen's not sure what's going on there, but she's pretty much destined to find out.

My thoughts:
 This book was really good. I love the connection with Gwen and Gideon. Also the gargoyle is very funny and I like Gwen's best friend Lesley and how she helps Gwen. The time traveling is so much fun and the gowns that are made for Gwen for the different time traveling sounds so beautiful. Still can not stand her cousin Charlotte or Charlotte's mom. Such snobby witches.